Transcend refreshes SSD line with eSATA, internal models

Transcend is refreshing its SSD line with a complete new lineup of internal …

Transcend, a flash memory and SSD vendor, has announced it is refreshing its SSD line with a complete new line of SSDs, spanning MLC and SLC models with IDE and SATA interfaces, and a new MLC external drive with an eSATA interface. The drives are on the market now and will compete in the crowded but troubled market for SSDs.

All the new models use flash ICs from Samsung, but that's about the only thing they share. Quantitative information on the new models is best summarized by a table:

Transcend would like to focus attention on the eSATA models. Their new interface, which I believe is a first for SSDs in the consumer market, allows them to hit much higher speeds than USB allows. At USB speeds, there isn't much point to external SSDs aside from the occasional thumb drive; the larger, more expensive units haven't hit this market. It doesn't seem likely this one will achieve much success, either; except for greater durability. The advantages of SSD aren't well suited to the use case for external hard drives.

Of greater interest is why Transcend even bothers releasing new IDE models. There doesn't seem to be much overlap between those users still without SATA ports (it is 2009, after all) and those users interested in shelling out $346 on a new SLC SSD. It's possible that the controller Transcend is using handles both interfaces, and the IDE models were as simple to engineer as a new PCB which does the appropriate pin routing.

The SATA models are fairly standard, in league with other vendors in capacity, performance claims, and price. The big question, then, is whether these SSDs are subject to the random write problem which faces some SSDs. It had been believed the problem was related to a faulty JMicron controller. Transcend told Ars it has "worked rigorously in modifying...firmware to be able to fix potential issues," and consequently it is "proud to announce that [its] drives are not subject to the JMicron controller issue."

It's possible this is true, but Transcend may be somewhat overeager. We've heard before that this issue has been fixed, most recently from Intel, whose X25-M SSD is the subject of an ongoing performance degradationcontroversy relating to Intel's write levelling and sector remapping algorithms. Knowing how these SSDs will compare to current entrants will probably need to wait for a detailed review.